


Moving In (an MCU interlude)

by screamingarrows



Series: the MCU (a rewrite). [3]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, Hinted Clint/Natasha - Freeform, Mentioned Pepperony, this is supposed to be lowkey sad but highkey soft, tony/nat friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-28 04:10:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15699873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/screamingarrows/pseuds/screamingarrows
Summary: One by one they find home





	Moving In (an MCU interlude)

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so it's 1a and I'm sure the shifting POV is not great but I'm feeling it rn and if it's truly terrible in the morning I'll rewrite haha But I get too excited to wait and so I have to post it now! Hopefully it's not too terrible!

Bruce was the first to the tower. On a whim, riding on the high of winning a war and being free to go as he pleases, Bruce follows Tony back to his home with nothing but a duffel bag of clothes and Tony's promises in his ears.

He’d thought it would be awkward, following Tony into what should be a palace. Bruce had been living in third world countries, living off the generosity of the locals and keeping his eyes low to the ground.

It feels odd to be so high up. It’s invigorating.

Tony doesn’t feel like a billionaire. He sheds the persona like a cloak, leaving it at the door and wandering through his home like he was anxious for Bruce’s reaction. He led him through the rooms, checking for damage but also pointing out the amenities as though Bruce wasn’t just pleased with running water.

Tony's a fan of keeping things. It’s obvious just through the walkthrough of his personal floor. There’s a painting he mentions Pepper gave him, there’s an old salt-water taffy tin that makes him bashful when he notices Bruce looking at, that Rhodey gave him. There are little memories littered throughout the space and Bruce wonders why the man acts like so much doesn’t affect him.

“So,” Tony says, his hands moving restlessly in front of him. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s more than a big, ugly building,” he says and gives Tony a half-grin. Tony bursts into laughter and when he reaches out for Bruce, Bruce doesn’t shy away.

“Now let’s go look at the real cool stuff,” he says, voice light with amusement. He keeps his arm wrapped around Bruce’s shoulder and it grounds him. He finds it’s hard to focus on anything but that solid line of contact, but when Tony drops his arm, Bruce finds that’s even more distracting.

As they wait for the elevator, Tony's voice rattles along in the silence and Bruce hopes that he can hold Tony's interest long enough to be kept.

\-----

Tony wanders into his kitchen, bleary-eyed and hungry, after having spent a three-day science bender with Bruce. He doesn’t look around as he makes a beeline for the coffee pot, starting a brew and then sidestepping to the fridge to look for anything remotely edible.

“Want some dino nuggets?”

Tony makes a noncommittal hum and reaches for some sliced deli meat. His fingers touch the cool package before his brain registers what’d been asked and he jerks upright, spinning to look at the table, eyes suddenly wide and alert.

Clint’s sitting there, watching him and casually scooping too much ketchup on a nugget before shoving the whole thing in his mouth. He gives the plate a little nudge towards Tony in a silent offering, but Tony just stares.

“How did you get in here?”

“Your robot let me up,” Clint says around the chicken nugget cooling in his mouth.

“He’s not a robot,” Tony says at the same time JARVIS replies, “I am not a robot, Agent Barton.”

Clint’s eyes flickered to the ceiling and he shrugs, looking back at Tony unperturbed.

“J?”

“Agent Barton has been previously allowed access,” JARVIS says in way of explanation and Tony can’t fault him on that.

“And the chicken strips?”

“Dino nuggets,” Clint corrects then shrugs, “gotta have lunch. Thought you might not have eaten, but your… JARVIS said you were busy.”

“Oh. Thanks,” Tony says and moves to the table, package of deli meat in his hand. He opens the container and grabs a slice, shoving it into his mouth.

“What have you been up to, Katniss?”

“Fuck all,” Clint says, biting the head off a dinosaur. He dips the body in ketchup and puts that into his mouth too. “I’m on mandatory leave until I’ve finished all my counseling.”

“That’s shit,” Tony says, attitude strong in his voice. Clint raises his eyebrows and nods his head in agreement; he grabs another nugget before replying.

“Grief counseling and mental evaluations, twice a week.”

Tony looks away and swallows hard.

“You were close to Phil, too, weren’t you.”

It’s not a question, but Tony nods nonetheless, then shrugs. “Well, sort of. I didn’t know him that well.”

Tony's eyes flicker up to Clint and he sees the archer staring at him with an unreadable expression.

Clint hums and Tony feels his stomach twist and tighten.

“I’m sorry,” Clint says softly and the muscle in Tony's jaw jumps.

“Yeah. Me too,” Tony says, voice raw. With nothing else to do, Tony reaches out and grabs a nugget from the plate Clint left shoved between them. He hurries to eat it, despite the churning in his stomach, and he forces his emotions back and scoffs.

“This is disgusting,” he says, hoping Clint will let the tension break. Clint doesn’t disappoint because he chokes on a laugh and dramatically pulls the plate away from Tony's reach.

“Oh please! I saw that pistachio fro-yo in the freezer. You don’t get an opinion on what tastes good.”

“That’s—that’s not mine!” Tony sputters and Clint rolls his eyes.

“Awfully defensive there, Tony.”

“It’s Pepper’s! I swear!”

“Mmhmm,” Clint hums and pops another nugget into his mouth.

“See,” he says, cheeks bulging as he shoves it aside to talk, “the sophistication comes from the shape. I understand if your pallet isn’t up to par.”

“Big words from a guy who can’t afford sleeves.”

Clint genuinely laughs at that, eyes squinting and cheeks faintly pink. Tony reaches over and steals a nugget in spite.

“When you’ve got arms like these it’s a crime to cover them.”

“Oh please,” Tony says with an eye roll. “And they said _I_ had narcissistic tendencies.”

The nuggets really aren’t that bad; Tony grabs another one, swiping it through Clint’s ketchup.

“The position of annoying talking narcissist has already been filled?” Clint’s tone is teasing and something within Tony that aches whenever it’s been too long since he’s seen Rhodey soothes over.

The two banter back and forth until the plate of nuggets are gone. Tony's comfortably full and he feels the pull of sleep heavy on his shoulders. Clint fights back a yawn and rolls his shoulders, working out a stretch, and a yawn works it’s way through Tony too.

“Time for a nap,” Clint says and stands. He reaches down, under the table beside his chair, and grabs a duffel bag, slinging it over his shoulder. “Can I take any bed or have people already claimed rooms?”

Tony cocks his head and blames his lack of sleep for how slow he is to process what Clint’s asking.

“Uh, no. Well, Bruce’s floor is two down. Yours,” Tony hesitates and fights back the burning in his cheeks. “You’re on floor 87.”

“Oh,” Clint says softly and Tony resists the urge to shift nervously, but then Clint’s face lights up in a smile. “Thanks, Tones,” he says and when he walks by, he pats Tony's shoulder twice. Tony feels childishly pleased Clint wants to stay too. He waits until Clint disappears into the elevator to stand and put away the deli meat he’d gotten from the fridge and head to his room. He rolls his shoulders as he walks, popping the small vertebrae near the tip of his spine.

Tony doesn’t think to remember the coffee, fresh and still steaming; he drops heavily into his bed and makes a note to tell Bruce Clint will be staying with them before he falls asleep.

\-----

Where the Hawk goes, the Spider follows. Tony isn’t surprised to find Natasha’s moved into the tower. He is, however, surprised as to _where_ she moved in. He’d assumed she would live with Clint, either on his floor or in his room.

Instead, Tony finds Natasha in the spare bedroom on his floor.

“I have nightmares,” she says hesitantly one afternoon. Tony had never questioned her about it, but she had spent a considerable amount of time watching him- learning his tells. She knows when a question is burning at his mind. She’s sitting on the couch in the common area and Tony had been heading to the chair when her words stop him. He knows, all too well, the courage it takes to speak about the things that frighten him; he knows it takes much more for Natasha to admit openly to such things.

Tony moves towards her slowly, easing himself onto the couch beside her. “About you.”

“Me?”

Natasha presses her lips together and keeps her eyes firmly planted on the coffee table.

“I was the one who closed the portal. I—” she hesitates again. “I just sleep better knowing I’m nearby.”

Tony could never deny her a good night’s sleep.

\-----

It takes Steve longer, but eventually he returns too.

Natasha finds him at the gym and follows him back to his dinky apartment; she passes a critical eye over everything in his sparsely decorated one-bedroom apartment and Steve finds himself tensing in anticipation of what she’s here for.

“You like it here?” she asks and Steve forces himself to let his arms fall out of the tightly crossed form they held over his chest and shrugs his shoulders.

“Here’s as good as anywhere.”

“You could always come to Stark Tower,” she says and then crooks an eyebrow, “Well, Avengers Tower, now.”

Steve scrutinizes her; she doesn’t shy away from his gaze.

“It’s a good place to call home, Cap.”

He opens his mouth, but doesn’t have anything to say. He’s not sure any place will feel like home here in this new world. She moves to the door and pauses in the open doorway.

“Tony’ll leave the light on for you,” she says, like she knows what he’ll do. There’s a tightness to her eyes that says she’s making a joke, but Steve doesn’t understand it. She disappears before he has anything to say, leaving him alone with his white walls and worn furniture.

Steve shows up a week later, all his belongings shoved in a suitcase that rests by his feet. Tony pauses, mid-sip, when he sees him—and then he beams.

“Long time, no see, Cap,” he says. “Let me show you to your room.”

Steve follows Tony and tries to listen as the man talks a-mile-a-minute as they move through the tower. He hopes Natasha’s right.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay! Let me know what you think! I have two smaller fic ideas before I move on to the next movie "rewrite" but if you guys have anything you'd particularly like to see let me know!! I'll do what I can to give yall what you want :D 
> 
> as always, you can find me at screamingarrows.tumblr.com !!


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